Contract Research and Services

In contract research the partner (usually a firm) acts as the client and the university partner as the contractor. The university partner executes the instructions as defined by the client and with a clear objective. The commission must be self-contained and not be a continuation of already commenced research. The main focus of the project is on the application of existing know-how to solve the specific question of the business partner (e.g. measurements and their evaluation, testing of substances in an established model, sponsored clinical trial, expert's reports, etc.). Inventions are generally not expected.

The specific goal and the exact extent of the services rendered by the university partner must be recorded in detail in the arrangement. In contrast to a collaborative research agreement, the industry partner pays the full market price for the services (including salaries, consumables, overheads, etc.). Even in the case of contract research the right of the university to publish the results should in general be guaranteed. The intellectual property rights generally remain with the industry partner.

Various online databases are helpful in the search for an appropriate research partner. Moreover, the universities maintain their own databases, which are searchable by keywords. We are glad to assist you in contacting certain research groups at the universities of Basel, Bern and Zurich and at their associated hospitals.